Welcome to “Driverthink”.
Posted by Frank Miller at 9/21/2007 2:12 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
I’ve been through one too many driver refresher courses. You know the ones. They charge you twenty or thirty bucks, squander a night or two of your time, and offer virtually no advice on how to really become a safe driver. For your money and your time you get a refund off of your car insurance premiums – as if the course really ever contributed to making you a safer driver.
The concept of these courses is, of course a valid one. Teaching people (or reviewing with them) safe driving concepts, could never be a bad idea. I just wish they would do it.
Why do I get so frustrated in these courses? They’re so limited, that’s why. They’re required to be politically and legally correct. If you’re like me you have probably come to realize that being politically correct and street legal doesn’t necessarily make you a good driver – in fact, it can sometimes make you a pretty unsafe one. Spending half the night going over drunk driving may be politically correct – but the time could be better spent going over real life driving situations.
Like many drivers – and unlike many more, I take my driving very seriously and over the years have rather sub-consciously come up with strategies and skills that seem to work pretty well.
In my last refresher course, I watched probably for the umpteenth time, their favorite movie clip of Goofy. Maybe you know the one. Goofy, the ultimate responsible citizen immediately transforms into a sadistic, homicidal maniac whenever he slides behind the wheel. In his suddenly “power-crazed” mental state, he becomes the ultimate irresponsible driver.
The movie got me to Driverthinking again. Yeah, there certainly are more that a fair share of irresponsible drivers on the roads, but why is that? What’s the real cause? Is it because otherwise responsible people automatically transform into road monsters when they turn the key? I don’t think so. Sorry refresher course, you completely miss the point - much less, the real concepts of responsible driving. All you did was give people an excuse to not think about themselves. “That’s funny – but it’s not me.”
Perhaps the reason for so much irresponsible driving is just a little more complex. Perhaps it’s because many otherwise very responsible people - have never really paused to consider what it actually takes to be a responsible driver. Think about it – many of us just never really "Driverthink” about it! Lots of us simply don’t take our driving that seriously.
Do we hop into our cars thinking about the meetings we’ve been in, the three cell phone calls we have to make on the way home, and maybe that little league game we’ve got to get Junior to after dinner? What about the Road? All that happy stuff going on around our car? Is it parked in the backgrounds of our minds somewhere? We’re on autopilot. We never think about our driving unless we have to – or unless we suddenly end up occupying the same space as another vehicle – at the same time!
The movie got me to Driverthinking again. Yeah, there certainly are more that a fair share of irresponsible drivers on the roads, but why is that? What’s the real cause? Is it because otherwise responsible people automatically transform into road monsters when they turn the key? I don’t think so. Sorry refresher course, you completely miss the point - much less, the real concepts of responsible driving. All you did was give people an excuse to not think about themselves. “That’s funny – but it’s not me.”
Perhaps the reason for so much irresponsible driving is just a little more complex. Perhaps it’s because many otherwise very responsible people - have never really paused to consider what it actually takes to be a responsible driver. Think about it – many of us just never really "Driverthink” about it! Lots of us simply don’t take our driving that seriously.
Do we hop into our cars thinking about the meetings we’ve been in, the three cell phone calls we have to make on the way home, and maybe that little league game we’ve got to get Junior to after dinner? What about the Road? All that happy stuff going on around our car? Is it parked in the backgrounds of our minds somewhere? We’re on autopilot. We never think about our driving unless we have to – or unless we suddenly end up occupying the same space as another vehicle – at the same time!
For others, our driving is our absolute top priority when we’re behind the wheel. We’re constantly analyzing traffic flow, studying our rear-views and perhaps planning an escape route if we have to suddenly avoid a disaster. All of that other stuff may still be there, but it’s secondary. We take our driving and our driving skills – very seriously.
This column is all about Driverthink. It will give us pause from our very busy days, and offer us a few quality moments to Driverthink about our driving - about different road situations, about our experiences and about what’s really going on when we’re behind the wheel. Who knows, we may even get the chance to collectively “Road Gripe” a little!
As a result of “one refresher course too many”, I decided to codify some Responsible Driving concepts – concepts that I think make me a safer driver. These are not designed to be legally or politically correct driving tips. They’re reality based – real life strategies. My thoughts and comments will always be in them. Yours will always be most welcome.
This column is all about Driverthink. It will give us pause from our very busy days, and offer us a few quality moments to Driverthink about our driving - about different road situations, about our experiences and about what’s really going on when we’re behind the wheel. Who knows, we may even get the chance to collectively “Road Gripe” a little!
As a result of “one refresher course too many”, I decided to codify some Responsible Driving concepts – concepts that I think make me a safer driver. These are not designed to be legally or politically correct driving tips. They’re reality based – real life strategies. My thoughts and comments will always be in them. Yours will always be most welcome.
In the next column, I’m going to look at what I have defined as the four basic elements of responsible driving – whether you drive fast or slow. If you’re an otherwise responsible person who has never seriously considered just exactly what it takes to be a really responsible driver, please tune in! If like many others you have, let’s compare notes.
Please Add your COMMENTS BELOW. What do You Think?
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